All the Pretty Things
by PJ Blindclown
Summary: Lief is away most of the time. Anna is now three years old. Jasmine is managing as best she can, but it's not easy.
1. Waiting

(A/N.) I started writing this story a few years ago while I had Glandular Fever, and just found it recently. So I decided to put it up here. I came up with the idea for it while listening to "She Only Wanted Flowers" by David Adam Byrnes.

Disclaimer: I don't own Deltora Quest. Nor do I own the song, from which I have borrowed the lyrics used in the title. "She Only Wanted Flowers" was written by Adam Fears.

Chapter One:

Waiting

When Lief became king, he had promised to be a man of the people. For of course, that was how he had been raised. But then, not long after, he had shut himself away in the library, away from his people, like the kings and queens before him who had allowed Deltora to fall into the hands of the shadow lord. But now that those days were over, Lief appeared to be keeping his word. If the people were patient enough, they would see their king in time. When asked why he did this, Lief would reply that he was not just the king of Del, and that all other people of the kingdom had just as much right to meet him personally as those in the city where he lived.

But Jasmine honestly believed that being a "man of the people" did not have to mean travelling around the kingdom what felt like most of the time, leaving her to care for three year old Anna with the help of Sharn and Lindal, who had become Anna's nursemaid.

At first, Jasmine had not minded this at all. Anna had been born early and small, and at times, she seemed more in need of constant care than other children her age. So it made sense that Jasmine should dedicate most of her time to caring for her while Lief ran the kingdom.

But now, Anna was older, healthier, and more energetic. At three years old, she was the spitting image of her mother. Small, slight build, elfin face, black hair, green eyes, and apparently, she had also inherited her mother's ability to climb and balance on surfaces that seemed impossibly high. Lief was away, as was usual these days, and so it was up to Jasmine to try and get her down. This morning, the breakfast table was Anna's surface of choice.

"You must come down now, Anna," Jasmine said for the third time. The bowl of sliced fruit that Jasmine had prepared for Anna was not far from the child's bare feet, and Jasmine was worried that at any moment Anna would send it flying, or at least to the kitchen floor.

"You must eat your breakfast," She continued. "Mama has things to do at the palace, and you must come with me."

For a moment, Anna's feet stopped dancing on the tabletop, and Jasmine thought that she had won this round. That was, until Anna looked at her with rage in her eyes. "No!" Anna shouted. "I am waiting here!" Now, Jasmine was puzzled. Anna had given her many reasons why she would not do something before, but this was something different. As it happened, this moment of brief puzzlement was Jasmine's undoing. In her anger, Anna's foot stamped on the table, and as Jasmine had feared it might, the bowl of fruit went flying. For a split second, it seemed airborne. Then it fell shattering to the floor. Shards of glass and slices of apple, orange, pair and strawberry went everywhere. At that moment, Jasmine could only be grateful that she had already dressed and put on shoes.

But Anna was still wearing her pink nightdress, her hair was as wild as ever, and she was wearing nothing on her feet. Breakfast for Anna, Jasmine decided, would have to wait until she got to the palace. Just now, there was a child still to dress, and a floor to clean. As usual, they were not going to get to the palace on time for the full moon meeting, which Jasmine was expected to attend while Lief was away.

Anna was staring at the broken bowl on the floor, and seemed to be surprised by what she had done. Jasmine took this opportunity to make her move.

"Look, Anna, you have broken your bowl." She said, trying not to show the child that she was annoyed. "All your fruit is on the floor now; it is no good to eat. Now, I will have to carry you out of here, so the glass doesn't cut your feet."

"No, Mama, I stay here," Anna replied, as Jasmine made a grab for her.

"I am waiting for Papa to come home, like he said. I stay here till he gets back, then we go to the palace."

Now Jasmine understood what her daughter had meant when she said she was waiting. When Lief had left for Dread mountain a week ago, he had told Anna that he would be back soon. At three years old, Anna did not understand time at all, and now that Jasmine thought about it, she realised that Anna had probably expected Lief to return not five minutes after he had left. It angered her that Lief made such promises to his daughter, giving no thought for the way a small child's mind worked, and having no regard for her feelings at all. This was one of many things that angered her about Lief's absence. What Anna did not know was that Lief would be attending the full moon meeting on Dread Mountain today, and then traveling to Tora tomorrow. He was not expected to return for another week.

"You cannot stay here and wait for Papa, Anna, he will not be happy if he sees you standing on the table, in your nightdress, with your food all over the floor. You don't want to make him sad now, do you?" Jasmine hoped that her words would have some impact on her daughter's behaviour, and it did.

Anna's little face fell. "No, I don't want to make him sad." She said, her bottom lip trembling.

"Right then," said Jasmine, feeling better about the situation. "Let me carry you out of the kitchen. You've already shown me how well you can climb today, how about you show me how well you can run? I will race you to your room, and then we'll find something pretty for you to wear." Jasmine had learned that such games often worked with Anna, especially in situations like this one, and today was no different. Anna's face lit up as she walked to the edge of the table and allowed Jasmine to lift her, carry her out of the kitchen, and set her down in the living room.

"Ready?" Jasmine asked, trying to put as much enthusiasm in her voice as she could. "One, two, three, go!"

Both of them ran the short distance to Anna's small room. Anna won the race, and Jasmine applauded her. Now, all she had to do was dress her, comb her hair, clean up the mess on the kitchen floor, and then they could go.

"What would you like to wear today, Anna?" Jasmine knew that letting Anna choose her own outfit would only take up more time, but she did not want the little girl to be upset again. As she watched Anna survey the items of clothing in her cupboard, she thought that a child such as Anna should not have such fine things to wear for days like this. Certainly, Anna was the princess of Deltora, and so should dress accordingly, but surely that did not mean wearing clothes that looked as if they should only be worn on special occasions while being cared for by Sharn, or playing in the palace gardens with Marilen's son and Lindal's children. Often during these times they got torn or dirty, and Jasmine had already had to get rid of many of these for that very reason.

Eventually, Anna chose a white dress made of fine Toran fabric, and as Jasmine helped her put it on, she thought with dismay that it would need to be soaked overnight to get rid of the stains that would surely appear throughout the day. For once, Anna did not protest as Jasmine combed her hair and tied it with ribbon, then helped her put on a pair of plain shoes that did not at all match her dress. As Jasmine looked at both their reflections in the mirror that hung on the wall beside the cupboard, she thought that Anna looked like the one who would speak at the meeting today, rather than herself.

Jasmine gave Anna a pencil and a piece of paper to occupy her while she cleaned the kitchen floor, and then lead her by the hand out of the forge and up the hill toward the palace. People waved as they passed, and both Jasmine and Anna waved back.

They met Sharn at the palace gates. Sharn took one look at Jasmine's tired face and her heart ached. While Lief was away, Jasmine had to take care of Anna, as well as manage things in Del, and despite the fact that Jasmine did very well; Sharn could see how hard it was for her. The smiles she gave the people waiting on the lawn seemed forced, and her eyes were deeply shadowed, as though she had not slept for days. Even Filli, who was in his usual place on her shoulder, looked as though he could do with a good night's rest.

Anna, on the other hand, looked as bright and happy as ever. She ran over to Sharn, brandishing a paper. "Gran, Look!" She cried. Sharn looked at the paper, which was covered with scribbles. "I drawed this for Papa. It's him on the mountain! See?"

Sharn thought that the drawing looked nothing like Lief on Dread Mountain, but she did not tell Anna this. Instead, she smiled and took Anna by the hand.

"Anna has not had breakfast," Jasmine said as they walked toward the front doors. "She knocked her bowl of fruit to the floor. That is why I am so late; I had to clean up the mess. She was climbing on the table again. I am sorry."

"You are sorry?" Sharn asked, surprised. "What are you sorry for?"

Jasmine stepped a little closer to Sharn, the better to speak to her more softly.

"I do not feel that I am fit for any of this," She said quietly. "I feel that Lief was wrong. I cannot be the queen of this land, and right now I feel that I cannot even care for my own daughter properly. I could not get her down this morning, whatever I said, the bowl fell to the floor, and look at what she is wearing! I felt that if I did not let her choose her own outfit, she would throw another tantrum, which would make things worse than they were already, and all these people are waiting for me."

"Her dress is certainly something," Sharn commented with a slight smile in Anna's direction. "does she not have anything more practical?"

"No," Jasmine replied. "She is always being given these clothes, honestly, they come from everywhere! When I asked Lief if I should go to the market to buy her something that was better suited for playing, he told me that there was no need and that there was enough in her cupboard as it is. But it is disappointing when I have to get rid of such fine clothes because she has ruined them."

Sharn marvelled at the changes in Jasmine since she had known her. A few years ago, it would not have mattered to Jasmine how fine the clothes were, if they were not fit to wear, they were not fit to wear and that was the end of it. But now, Jasmine seemed to be really upset by the idea that such finery would need to be thrown away.

"Lief was not wrong to choose you as his bride," Sharn said gently. "Whatever you may think, you manage very well here. Far better than I could ever do. Do you not see it Jasmine? The people do not just come to you when they want something; they actually look forward to meeting with you. But Lief was wrong about Anna's clothes, and if he was here more often he would know that." Sharn chose her next words carefully, knowing that she was stepping on dangerous ground. "I know Lief is my son, and that I should support him in whatever he does. But I cannot help but feel that he is not doing right by you and Anna, leaving you alone so often for weeks at a time. I understand how capable you are, but it is madness that you should be expected to care for such a small child all the time. Honestly, if I was given a gold coin every time Lief broke something or was disobedient, I would've been the richest woman in Del by the time he turned five. But I had Endon with me all the time, and it made all the difference. If I may say so, Lief should not be worrying about everyone else in the kingdom just now, he should be here, and helping you, at least until Anna is a little older."

Now, Sharn knew that she had said too much. Seeing the sadness in Jasmine's eyes, she quickly changed the subject. "Never mind about Anna's clothes. I have some spare time in the evenings; I will make some for her. I will also keep her here for the night if you like, you look exhausted."

Sharn was relieved to see Jasmine's face relax.

"Thank you, Sharn," she said. "She really is a handful." Both women smiled as they walked through the entrance hall, and Jasmine mounted the stairs to allow the people to see her better.

As Sharn lead a chattering Anna toward the kitchens to get her something to eat, she thought that perhaps she should send a message to Lief, telling him of this morning's events and begging him to come home. Then she thought better of it, deciding that it was probably better to let Lief and Jasmine manage their own affairs.

As usual, there were many people who wanted to speak to Jasmine. With Marilen as her scribe, she answered questions, took requests and complaints, and gave the people an update on Anna's welfare. They were always interested to hear about their princess, and when they saw her, they were never disappointed. Jasmine was almost tempted to tell them how Anna behaved at home. But all the while, her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about Lief, and how he was hardly ever in Del. She was also thinking of what Sharn had said, and wondering if anyone else thought as she did. She hoped that they did not. The last thing Jasmine needed was for gossips to begin speculating about why the king was away so often.

When the meeting ended, Jasmine's fears were confirmed when Marilen took her aside so they could talk in private.

"Sharn told me that Anna would be staying here for the night." She said quietly. "It is just as well, you look like death Jasmine. But do not worry. I am having the same trouble with Joseph. I do not know why Ranesh went with Lief this time, and to be honest, I do not care. Ranesh is one of Lief's closest advisers it is true, but he did not need to go to Dread Mountain and then to Tora, leaving me to look after Joseph and the library. He is just as bad as Anna, you know. I will be very surprised if the palace is still standing tomorrow; those two will have it down around our heads the way they are going."

Jasmine did not see how Joseph could be as bad as Anna; he always seemed very well behaved whenever she saw him. But Marilen did have a point. Jasmine could hear the two children having some sort of fight on the lawn just outside.

"I should go and sort that out," Marilen said, as one of them started to cry. "I will see you tomorrow Jasmine." With that, she walked out the front door, leaving Jasmine standing alone in the hall.

Back at the forge, Jasmine made a meal of the fruit that had not been spoiled, and then went straight to bed. But although she was tired, she found that she could not sleep. The bed felt cold without Lief there, and now that Marilen and Sharn had spoken with her about it, she felt Lief's absence more strongly. Looking out of the open window, Jasmine saw a shape flying toward the cottage. As it came closer, she saw that it was one of the messenger birds who had gone with Lief when he left. The bird flew through the window, dropped a small package on the bed, and then flew away just as quickly as it had come. Clearly, it was not expecting a reply.

Jasmine opened the package, and found an emerald ring and a small bracelet wrapped in a piece of paper. Jasmine smoothed it out, recognised Lief's handwriting and frowned as she read the message.

"Jasmine,

The ring is for you, to remind you that I have not forgotten you, and the bracelet is a gift for Anna from the Dread Gnomes.

With love,

Lief."

Jasmine looked at the bracelet more closely, and noticed that each link on the fine gold chain had a small stone fixed to it. These stones were miniatures of the ones on the belt of Deltora. No doubt Lief had found it cute. Then she wondered why Lief would send her a ring. Had he forgotten that his wife did not wear jewellery in any form? Had he been away that long? Or had he just wanted to send her something?

Jasmine found that she could not answer any of these questions. Putting the note, the bracelet and the ring on the bedside cabinet, she lay back down and tried once again to get to sleep.

(A/N.) I got the information about the behaviour of toddlers and how to deal with it from the parenting and child health section on the child and youth health website.

Also, thanks to EJ101 for the charm bracelet idea.


	2. The Decision

(A/N.) Here's another chapter. It's shorter than the previous one, but it's not really going to be one of those chapters that you'll want to read for ages. Things are getting worse.

Chapter Two:

The Decision

Lief had been following Broad River with Ranesh and Barda for many hours. They had left Dread Mountain at dawn, and were now approaching Where Waters Meet. They planned to stop their briefly to meet with some of the people, but Lief did not really want to. Nor did he want to go to Tora. He wanted to be at home with Jasmine and Anna, for he missed them both sorely. He knew that his time away was hard for Jasmine, especially with Anna as she was now, and Anna… Every time Lief saw her, she seemed taller, and when she had been a little younger, she had even forgotten who he was a few times.

Lief decided that when he reached Tora, he would speak with Zeean about returning sooner.

The people of Where waters meet were as cheerful as ever. They gave Lief, Barda and Ranesh a meal, and updated them on how their crops were faring. They also asked about Jasmine and Anna, and Lief found that he did not know how to respond. It was Ranesh who came to the rescue.

"The queen and the princess are doing well," he said, seeing the look on Lief's face. "The Queen is in good health, and as you all know, is quite friendly with my wife Marilen, and the little princess has become fine friends with my son Joseph."

The people smiled and congratulated their king on having such a beautiful wife and child, but Lief felt nothing but sadness upon hearing their words. He hardly knew what Anna was like these days, and whenever he thought of Jasmine, he could not help but feel that something was very wrong. Lief wished he had said more in the message he had sent her, but he did not know what else he would have said.

Lief also wondered how Ranesh knew how Anna and Jasmine were faring, considering that they had been together since they left for Dread mountain a week earlier. He decided that he would ask Ranesh this when they left Where Waters Meet.

When Jasmine returned to the palace the next Morning, she found Anna crying hysterically, and Sharn and Lindal trying in vain to comfort her.

"No!" She was wailing. "I will not! I will not eat until Papa is here!"

Jasmine sat down in a kitchen chair, already feeling exhausted despite the early hour. "But surely you are hungry, Anna?" Sharn asked soothingly, placing a steaming cup of herbal tea in front of Jasmine.

"No!" Anna repeated. "I want my Papa here now!"

"But he cannot be here now," Lindal said, a little more firmly. With three children already, Lindal knew better than Jasmine did how to handle situations like this one, and as she had done many times before, Jasmine thanked the heavens that she and Lief had chosen her to be Anna's nursemaid. "If you wait for your Papa," Lindal was saying, "You could be waiting a very long time, and who knows how hungry you will be when he gets back? I don't think he would be very happy with me if I let you starve to death."

Anna's crying had lessened a little, and Sharn got a cloth to wipe the little girl's face. "Lindal is right, you know." She said as Anna blew her nose. "Papa would be very sad indeed if he came back to find that we had not given you anything to eat. How about you take three spoonful's of porridge, and then you can go to the library to play with Joseph?"

Jasmine sat silently through all this. These two women seemed to be doing fine without her, and this made her feel even less able to care for her daughter, whom she loved dearly.

"I will eat with you Anna," she said, breaking her silence. "Will I do for now?"

For the first time since Jasmine had entered, Anna looked up. She seemed almost surprised that her mother was in the room, sitting in a chair, and drinking a cup of tea. "Mama!" She cried, her face lighting up at the sight of Jasmine. "I think you gone too!"

Jasmine felt relieved that Anna seemed to have already forgotten why she had been upset earlier, despite the tears that were still drying on her face. "No," she said. "I was not gone, I was only at our house. Remember? You stayed the night here with Gran and Lindal, and now I am here too."

Jasmine was once again relieved when Anna picked up her spoon and began to eat. Despite what she had promised her daughter, she did not really want anything for breakfast herself. The decision she had made as she tried to sleep the previous night was weighing heavily on her mind, and although Sharn was the last person she wanted to tell, Jasmine knew she had to. 'It is for the best,' she thought to herself, 'especially for Anna. I cannot bring her up in our home as it is now.'

"Three!" Anna's shrill cry interrupted her thoughts.

Jasmine looked up, but instead of looking at Jasmine or Lindal, Anna was looking at her Grandmother.

"I have three spoons Gran," she said seriously. "Can I go play with Joseph now?"

"Of course," Sharn said, giving Anna a small smile. "That was the deal, was it not?"

Anna ran giggling from the room, and as she did, Jasmine noticed that she was wearing a shirt and leggings, rather than one of the dresses she usually could be found in.

"They belonged to Brid," Lindal said, seeing Jasmine looking at the outfit with interest. "I think he outgrew them a year ago, and of course, they would not fit Berry either. I am glad I did not get rid of them, as we seem to have some use for them here."

Lindal had given birth to Berry and Brid a year before Anna had been born, but already the twins were far bigger than her.

"Thank you, Lindal." Jasmine said, not looking forward to what she was about to say. "I have made a decision, Sharn, about Lief."

The room fell silent, even the cooks had stopped their work to listen. Though Jasmine's words were spoken softly, all who were in the room heard them. The tone of the young woman's voice frightened some of the older cooks, who had seen much throughout their years, and none of them wanted to think of what this might mean. But still, they listened as she continued.

"I know you will not like this, but things cannot go on as they are." Jasmine drew a deep breath. Thinking of what she wanted to say had seemed easy at the time, but now, it was far more difficult to articulate the words that had repeated themselves in her mind as she lay in the bed that was meant to be shared with her husband.

"Lief… He cannot come back to the forge. Not if he will only leave again within a few weeks. It is too hard for Anna, and…"

Jasmine broke off. She could not say anymore. She could not bring herself to speak aloud the emotions that had all come to the surface last night. But Sharn, always one for comforting those who were unhappy, seemed to understand completely what Jasmine was going through. Jasmine wanted to hate Lief's mother for this, but she found that she could not.

As Jasmine leant into her mother in-law's embrace, she finally allowed the tears she did not even know she was holding back to fall, and spoke the words that she had kept to herself since Lief had left a week ago.

She spoke of the promises Lief always made after returning from such journeys, the promises to return sooner the next time that he never kept. She spoke of her fears for Anna, who longed for her father's attention and time. And then, finally, she spoke of the plans she had made, and how she would carry them out.

All the while, Sharn listened. It broke her heart to know that her son's marriage might have come to this after only a few short years, but when she thought about how things had been of late, she was not surprised that it had. Certainly, she felt sympathy for Lief, whom she had loved and cared for since before he had even been born, but Sharn was also a mother, and she knew that whatever Jasmine's feelings about Lief might be now, she still loved him. Jasmine had not made this decision for herself, she only wanted to protect her daughter from the anguish that was currently thriving in the royal household. Sharn felt a surge of pride as she realised how brave Jasmine truly was, and how lucky Lief was that he had her as his wife. She only hoped that Lief would come home and put things right before it was too late.


	3. Memories

(A/N.) This was not my original plan for this chapter, and it does diverge a little from the plot, but I felt it necessary to tell a little of Anna's backstory.

Chapter Three:

Memories

Tora was as beautiful as ever, But Lief appreciated nothing about it as he made his way toward the square, where the meetings were held. People bowed low as he passed, but Lief just kept moving. He wondered if the people would realise that he did not want to be there at all, and he almost felt guilty for coming.

In the square, Zeean was waiting for him. Lief noticed that she looked almost unhappy to see them, and wondered why. Surely, there could be nothing wrong, as far as Lief knew; the relationship between Del and Tora had been repaired since the "Toran plague" disaster a few years ago.

"I received a message from Sharn." Zeean said quietly, noticing Lief's questioning gaze upon her.

"She wrote yesterday, and in her message she seemed… Worried."

"Worried?" Lief asked, alarmed.

"Worried about what?"

"It is probably nothing Lief," Barda said quickly, seeing the look on Lief's face.

Zeean glanced in his direction. "Sharn did not go into great detail," she began. "I think she wanted someone to talk to more than anything else, and everyone in the palace was too close to the issue for her to speak comfortably about it. It seems that Jasmine is having some trouble with Anna."

Lief paled. "What do you mean?" He asked, remembering the problems that Anna had had in her earliest days. "Is she unwell?"

"I do not think so," Zeean said. "But as I said, Sharn did not give many details. All she told me was that Jasmine looked tired when she saw her yesterday, that Anna was staying with her in the palace overnight, and that she was making new garments for her."

Lief found this last piece of information to be rather strange. The last time he had seen Anna's wardrobe, it had been filled with fine garments for Anna. Why would his mother feel the need to make more?

Now, he decided, was the perfect opportunity to ask Zeean if he could leave Tora early.

"Zeean," He began awkwardly. "I know that there is still much work to be done on the relationship between Del and Tora, and I value our time together as much as you do,"

"But you wish to return to your family." Zeean finished for him. "I understand Lief," She said gently. "As do all in Tora. Your wife and young daughter are the most important thing in your life just now, and we will not get in the way of you being there for them."

Lief felt guilty when he heard these words. The way he saw it, the kingdom was the most important thing to him, and everything that he loved came second. That included Jasmine and Anna. But now, he was not so sure that he was taking the right approach. The way that Zeean, Ranesh and Barda were all looking at him made him feel more than a little uneasy. All of them seemed to know what was going through his mind, and the fact that he had not said a word for several moments was telling them more than if he had spoken.

"Go Lief." Ranesh said, at last breaking the silence. "I will speak with the Torans on your behalf. Jasmine and Anna need you more than they do just now."

"He is right," Zeean said. "We will speed you to Del now, so that you may reach it before nightfall."

"Thank you, Zeean." Lief said quietly. "I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your understanding."

As he sped to Del, Lief thought about what Zeean had said. Despite her assurances that all would be well when he reached home, both Lief and Zeean knew that this may not be the case. Into Lief's mind came a memory from the days after Anna's birth. She had been tiny, and Lief remembered almost being able to hold her in his hands. It was during such a time, as Lief sat holding Anna as she slept, that the unthinkable happened.

Always, Lief would remember how he and Jasmine had been admiring Anna's little face, when all of a sudden it began to turn blue. It was at that same moment that Lief noticed with horror that his daughter's tiny chest had stopped moving. It was after hearing the cries of the two horrified parents that a trader, (who had been visiting from the island of Dorne) ran into the room. "Give her to me," the thin man said sharply to Lief. Seeing Lief hesitate, the man ran toward him and with one quick movement, snatched Anna out of his arms. Both Lief and Jasmine had jumped up and tried to take their daughter back. "Get them out of here!" The man had shouted to Barda, who had run into the room upon hearing the noise. "Don't worry," the man said calmly to Barda, who had drawn his sword. "I won't harm the little princess; I am a healer at home. It isn't going to help the babe to have her parents panicking like this."

Seeing that the man meant business, Barda had dragged Lief and Jasmine from the room, ignoring their efforts to break free.

"What is happening?" Jasmine had screamed as Barda finally let her and Lief go.

As if in answer to the question, the healer came out of the room, and handed Anna back to Lief. Lief would never forget how relieved he had felt to see that his daughter's face had regained its usual rosy hue, and that her chest was rising and falling slowly, as though nothing had happened.

"There," the healer said softly, stepping back a little. "The little princess gave us quite a fright there, but she is alright now."

"What happened?" Lief asked stupidly. "Why did she stop breathing?"

The healer took a short while to answer, and when he finally spoke, both Lief and Jasmine became even more frightened.

"This babe was born early, was she not?" He asked, and upon seeing Jasmine nod, he continued.

"This ailment is common in such little ones. It doesn't have a name, but I have seen it many times throughout my career, and before I tell you anything else, I will tell you that all the babes I have treated have survived and grown into perfectly healthy children."

"But why is this happening?" Jasmine interrupted. "You still have not told us that."

Lief remembered feeling annoyed at how calmly the man had looked at Jasmine as he spoke his next words. Now, he understood that it was part of a healer's job not to show any emotion, but he had not known that then.  
"Your little one stopped breathing just now, because her lungs are not yet working correctly. If you had carried her for a full nine months, her lungs would have had enough time to develop enough so that things like this would not happen. But as it is, they have not, and so the only treatment for this is time. No medicines or drugs can make her better, and even if they could, I would strongly advise you not to give them to one so small."

The healer allowed Lief and Jasmine a few moments to take all this in before going on. Lief also noticed that Doom and his mother had come closer in order to listen.

"As it happens, the little princess started breathing again just now with very little help from me. You will find that this will happen most of the time. If it does not, simply rub her back, arms or legs."

"And if that does not work?" Sharn asked.

"Then you will need to force air into her lungs." The healer replied in what Lief was beginning to recognise as his usual businesslike manner.

"There is a device of my own invention which can be made with a paper bag and a mask that allows you to do this, But as I said, you should not need it."

At that moment, Anna's eyes opened, and after blinking a few times, she began to cry. It was only after Jasmine plucked their daughter from her Father's arms, and went back into the bedchamber to feed her that the man stepped a little closer to Lief.

"Forgive me for saying this, your majesty, but in Dorne they say that…" He stopped there, as if he feared that whatever they said in Dorne might damage relations between the two countries.

"Go on," Lief said, curious despite himself. "It cannot be that bad." Seeing the man's continued hesitation, he continued. "In Deltora, they still say many things about my wife and me. I am almost certain that nothing they say in Dorne would shock me."

The man was still looking at Lief, as though considering the consequences of what he might say, when Jasmine returned with Anna.

"Your timing is perfect Anna," Lief said, addressing the baby despite knowing that she would understand nothing of what he said. "Our friend here was just about to tell us what they say about us in Dorne. Will that not be interesting?"

Anna blinked up at her Father, and then, as if bored, closed her eyes and went to sleep.

"You'll find she'll do that a lot," the healer said to Lief. "But I suppose now I have to tell all of you what they say on Dorne. It is said that you, your wife and a man named Barda spend a lot of time traveling your kingdom, even that you have saved the kingdom a few times by doing so." Seeling Lief and Jasmine nodding, he went on. "I know that you want your daughter to know her land, and to learn to love it as you do, but you cannot be traveling with her just now. A babe like her needs your constant care and attention. Neither of you should leave her until she is at least a year old, and if she were mine, I would not take her out of Del until she is at least three. That way she will have enough time to grow out of the problems she is having now."

"And will she grow out of them completely?" Jasmine asked.

Again, the healer hesitated. "You must tell us the truth," Lief said.

"I never make promises I can't keep," the healer began. "But it is very likely that she will. It is only in a few cases that I have seen children grow up to have some other problems with their lungs, but even they go on to live healthy lives. I can tell you with perfect honesty that not one child I have seen with this condition has died from it, or anything that happens afterward."

A few days after that conversation had taken place, the healer from Dorne returned there with his brothers. He had given Lief and Jasmine more information and advice about how to best help Anna, but Lief had not seen him since then. Other traders from Dorne had come, including the healer's older brother, but the healer himself had not been with them. Lief hoped with all his heart that the healer was right, and that Anna had grown out of all her problems, but he decided that if he was not, he would contact the chieftain of Dorne, and ask that the healer be sent to Deltora at once.

But then, another thought came into Lief's mind. This healer from Dorne had had seemed very good at his job, and confident in what he did. So there was a chance that he was indeed right about Anna's health. But if Jasmine's problems with their daughter were not caused by her health, then what was the cause?

When Lief finally reached the city gates of Del, he found that he had never been gladder to have travelled by Toran magic. Whatever was happening, he had to know.

(A/N.) Yes, for those of you who were wondering, the healer from Dorne was Sholto.


	4. Trouble

(A/N.) Don't read this if you're having a bad day. Just a suggestion.

Chapter Four:

Trouble

When Lief went to the palace stables to return Honey, he found Zerry feeding the other horses. "Lief!" He cried, his face lighting up at the sight of his king. "You weren't expected back for another week! Where are Ranesh and Barda?"

"They are still in Tora," Lief answered, allowing Zerry to lead Honey away from him. "I returned early because I heard that Jasmine was having some trouble with Anna. I thought it might be her health."

"Her health?" Zerry repeated. "She seemed fine to me when I saw her earlier, though I admit I probably wouldn't know if something was wrong." Zerry looked away, busying himself with Honey.

"You saw her earlier?" Lief asked, needing to hear more.

"Yes," Zerry replied. "I ate lunch with Lindal, the Lady Sharn and the Lady Marilen today. All the children were there, Berry, Brid, Joseph, Anna and even Min. After we ate, Lindal and I took the children out and pretended to let them help me feed the horses, though in truth they only gave them a few lumps of sugar."

Lief noticed that Zerry looked guilty as he said this. "It is alright, Zerry," Lief said quickly. "A few lumps of sugar will not hurt them. What happened after that?"

"After a while, Jasmine came and took Anna, I don't know where they went. I think Anna is in the palace with the Lady Sharn now. I'm sorry Lief; I didn't know that something might be wrong with her." Zerry looked almost ashamed that he did not know more about Anna, and Lief felt sorry for the young man, who always tried so hard to prove himself to Lief after the incident with the belt a few years ago.

"No, Zerry, it is fine." Lief said gently. "Lindal is Anna's nursemaid after all, and the horses seem fine in your care. As long as you are looking after them, you are doing your job. Thank you." With that, Lief clapped Zerry on the shoulder and left him.

Lief hurried through the entrance doors, eager to see his daughter. Zerry's words had only assured him a little, and he would not believe that Anna was truly alright until he saw her for himself.

After not much searching, he found Anna in the kitchens with Lindal, His mother and Lindal and Barda's two eldest children. All of them it seemed were being entertained by one of the cooks, who was singing a rather loud and humorous song about a wagon that was full of various farm animals.

From just outside the open door, Lief could see that all the children, including Anna, were laughing so hard at the cook's antics, that they had tears running down their faces. Lief thought that right then, tears might run down his own face, but they would be tears of relief that there seemed to be nothing at all wrong with his daughter.

"Lief!" Called a voice, bringing him back to himself. "You were not expected back for another week! What are you doing here?" Looking around the door, Lief could see that the speaker was his mother.

"You - you wrote to Zeean," he answered her stupidly, stepping further into the room. "You said that Jasmine was having some trouble with Anna. I came back because I thought that it might be her…" He broke off, for at the sound of her name being spoken by her Father, Anna had sprung from her chair and flung herself at him.

"Papa!" The little girl shrieked, as Lief lifted her into his arms. "You are back! I knowed you would come!"

"Of course I came, Little one." Lief said. "Have you been a good girl?"

"Yes," Anna answered obediently. "But I'm not little one anymore, I'm nearly four." Anna said this with such seriousness, that Lief wondered just how much time had passed since he had last seen her.

"Anna, I am already four," Berry piped up. "When I was three like you, I was not as little as you. So when you are four like Brid and me, you'll still be little."

"Be quiet, Berry!" Lindal scolded, seeing Anna's face fall. "You are right, Anna, you are not little anymore. Lief, look at how much taller she has got since you've been gone!"

"I know!" Lief agreed, making a show of looking Anna up and down. "I can hardly believe it. But where is your Mama, Anna?"

"She is at our house," Anna answered. "Gran said that she is very tired, so I stay here again and play with Berry and Brid and Joseph and Mama will come in the morning." Anna looked into her Father's face, seeming to consider something, then she went on. "But now, you are back, so you can take me home with you, and you can look after me so Mama don't get more tired. I don't want to play with Berry and Brid anymore, they are mean. But I still like Joseph."

Lief found that despite Anna's age, he found himself agreeing with her.

"That sounds like a fine plan," He said. But as he began to turn toward the doorway with her still in his arms, Sharn stopped him. "No, Lief," she said, coming over and taking Anna. "Jasmine has said that she is to stay here until tomorrow morning. You can go to the forge now and speak with her about it."

As he looked into his mother's face, Lief realised that she knew something about the situation that he did not. The feeling that something was not right returned to him with full force, and now he faced it.

"What is wrong?" He asked. "Why did you write to Zeean? Anna seems fine."

"Oh, she is fine now that you have returned," Sharn replied.

"What do you mean?" Lief asked, confused.

"I mean that while you have been caring for everyone else in the kingdom, Jasmine has been caring for your daughter, who in my opinion has given her far more trouble than anything you have had to deal with of late."

As she spoke, Lief realised that his mother had not looked at him so sternly since before he had become king.

"Anna, you told me you were a good girl while I was gone," Lief said, turning to her. At the sight of the disappointment that was appearing on her father's face, Anna's bottom lip began to tremble.

"My fruit falled on the floor one time," she began to sob. "But I did no' mean it. I was just sad b'cause you wouldn't come to the moon meeting with Mama and me."

"Lief, go," Sharn said, trying to regain control over the situation. "How about we go and find Joseph, Anna? He can help you sort through all those drawings you've done, and then you can show them to Papa when he gets back."

As Lief walked back through the entrance hall, he heard the sound of his mother's voice over his daughter's crying. "You see now, Lindal?" Sharn was saying. This is exactly what Jasmine is trying to protect her from. Oh, why did he have to come back now?"

Lief stopped dead in the middle of the hall, not knowing what to make of what he had just heard. If he had heard his mother correctly, his early return was not bringing joy and relief, but pain and what seemed to be anger. Lief started moving again, but this time, his pace was quicker. He knew, somehow, that the answers to all the questions in his mind were at the forge.

As Lief was running through the city, Jasmine was in the small house behind the forge, sorting through the various belongings in the room she shared with him. He would be back from Tora within a week, and Jasmine had decided that by that time, all his belongings would have been moved to his old bedchamber at the palace.

Jasmine was surprised that Lief's mother had agreed with this when she asked her, but then, this was not the first time that Sharn had surprised her since Lief had been gone.

"Yes, it is better that way," She had said. "Then he will know that this is what needs to be done."

"I hope I am doing the right thing," Jasmine had replied. "I hope he will see reason, at least for Anna's sake."

Sharn had regarded Jasmine for a long moment before speaking again.

"I know you still care for him Jasmine," she said softly. "There is nothing wrong with that."

Jasmine had nodded at this, and then turned away quickly to hide the tears that were again threatening to fall. Sharn had been right, and again, Jasmine wanted to hate her for it. She did not want Lief's mother to understand why she was doing this. The way she understood it, mother in-laws were supposed to become angry with the wives of their sons if they upset them, if they did not already hate them.

Jasmine reasoned that if Sharn also disagreed with what Lief was doing, then she must have made the right decision, and this was what upset her most. For just as much as Jasmine wanted to hate Sharn for understanding how she felt, she wanted more than anything for the way she felt to be wrong.

Now, Jasmine let herself cry as she sorted through the various items on Lief's bedside cabinet. Once, she would never have allowed herself to cry like this. But those days were long gone. Suddenly, she heard the front door open. Thinking that it was Sharn, Jasmine quickly wiped her eyes with her sleave. She would tell her that her eyes were wet from the dust that had gathered, and Sharn would know that she was lying. But that did not matter. She was doing what she had to do.

"Sharn?" Jasmine called. "Is that you?"

"No," a male voice answered. Jasmine quickly stood upright. She knew that voice, and for a moment she wondered if her constant exhaustion was making her hear things.

But then, she saw him coming toward the bedroom door, and knew that her ears had not deceived her.

"Jasmine!" Lief exclaimed, moving into the room. Jasmine stepped back, as he moved to embrace her.

"My Mother wrote to Zeean," he explained, misunderstanding the situation. "She told me when I reached Tora. My mother had said that you were having trouble with Anna, and I thought that it might be her lungs, but…" He stopped there, as if remembering something.

At that moment, Jasmine felt that she hated him. Lief was standing in front of her, wearing the cloak that his mother had made for him. He looked as if he had been running. But what Jasmine noticed most about him was the look on his face. It was the look of unconditional love that appeared when those who felt it looked upon one another. She had seen that look on Lief's face many times before, but now, instead of bringing her joy, it fuelled her hatred toward him.

Jasmine hated Lief for only coming back when he thought that his daughter might have stopped breathing. She hated him for not returning sooner. But most of all, she hated him because she knew that the same look of unconditional love had appeared on her own face the moment she saw him, and there was nothing she could have done to keep it from showing. But that look was soon replaced by one of anger, as she watched her husband's face as he looked around the small room, filled with fine things that neither of them really needed.

"My mother wrote to Zeean," Lief repeated. "She said that…"

"That I was having trouble with Anna, yes, I believe we have established that," Jasmine interrupted him coldly. "But I cannot believe that all you could think about were her lungs, when the healer from Dorne told us that she would be fine! Did you even consider that the trouble I have been having with her might be due to her behaviour? Did you consider that her behaviour, or lack thereof, might actually be caused by your absence, coupled with the fact that she is three years old, and just beginning to learn about the world? Did you even know before now that learning about the world is what toddling children do?"

Lief said nothing in reply, but the look on his face as he understood what the room in its current state, combined with his wife's words, was answer enough for Jasmine.

"I knew some of those things Jasmine, but…" Lief tried to defend himself.

"But what, Lief?" Jasmine interrupted again. "You were too busy taking care of everyone else in Deltora? All the other people in the kingdom are more important than your daughter? The one who will inherit the throne of this very kingdom when you die? Is that what you are trying to say? Because if it is, you can save your breath. Go back now to your grand palace and look after your people, and I will stay here and try and bring up Deltora's future Queen."

Despite what she was telling him, Lief did not even try to argue with Jasmine. He did not know how it had come to this, but he knew that it had. And as he turned away from his wife and left the house they shared, Lief supposed that the Shadow Lord had been right to call him a "Royal Coward."

(A/N.) The song the cook is singing is a Dutch folk song called "I've a Wagon."


	5. Feeling Like Family

(A/N.) Finally, the next chapter. I hope the length makes up for the long time between updates. Also, please forgive any errors, I have been writing for hours.

Chapter Five:

Feeling like Family

In the palace, he is climbing the stairs. He is very tired, and wants nothing more than to retire to his bedchamber for the evening. But as he passes the entrance to the great dining hall on the first floor, he notices something odd. The door is hanging open, and the large room is dimly lit by several candles, which have been placed in glass holders at the centre of each of the tables. 'Strange,' he thinks to himself. 'I was not made aware of any gathering that would warrant this.'

He steps a little further into the large room, curious despite himself, and it is then, that he notices her.

She is standing in the centre, wearing a dress. It reminds him a little of the one she wore when they were married. Only this time, her dress is black; as though she is in mourning. Her hair is far longer than he has ever seen it, and threaded with wildflowers that seem to be rapidly changing colour before his eyes. Both her hair and her dress flow about her, as if blown by a breeze. But there is no breeze here.

As he comes closer to her, he also notices that the flowers have a strong perfume, which makes him feel more than a little lightheaded.

But what shocks him the most about her appearance, is not her hair, her dress, or even the strange flowers, which make his eyes water. What shocks him the most is the fact that her features are like they were in the days when they all travelled around Deltora, seeking the lost gems of the belt. Her cheeks have not yet lost the roundness of childhood, and her body is unchanged, as if she never carried their daughter.

She is beautiful, and she is here. For some reason the fact that she is just in front of him is important, though he does not know why. But just now, it does not matter. If he reaches out his hand, he will almost certainly touch her. He wants to, but he restrains himself. He does not want to disturb her.

But still, he steps even closer. He suddenly feels awkward. He blushes and looks down, and notices that wildflowers, like the ones in her hair, have begun to spring up out of the marble floor all around them. The flowers are growing taller by the moment, and when they grow as tall as her, he reaches out and grabs hold of her hand against his better judgement. He does not want to lose her now. As their hands touch, Soft, slow music (which seems to have no source) begins to play, and all of a sudden, the situation is no longer so strange. He knows what to do now.

He bends, and kisses the hand that he is holding, in a silent invitation to dance.

"I have been waiting for you, Lief," she tells him softly as she allows him to lead her into the close embrace position. The flowers that stand between them jump out of the way to avoid being crushed. They begin to dance, and as usual, it is slow and awkward. He remembers that neither of them have ever had any formal instruction.

The music has no rhythm, but he does not care. He is holding her again, and she is letting him. Just like she used to.

"I know, Jasmine," he says. "I am sorry. It was never meant to be like this."

They continue to dance for a while, and the flowers move aside for them whenever they come too close.

"Jasmine, you are cold!" He has been holding her close for many minutes now, but he has only just noticed this.

"It is always cold without you here," she tells him in a matter-of-fact tone.

As if to prove her point, she lets go of him, and as she steps out of his embrace, he is chilled to the bone. He notices that she is gazing in wonder at the wildflowers around them.

"You cannot buy these with money," she informs him. "But even they will not keep you warm."

Her voice sounds like it did when they had first met, and suddenly, it is all too much for him.

He is not sure if it is the perfume coming from the flowers, or his own heart breaking within him, but there are now tears running down his cheeks, and there is nothing he can do to stop them.

"The sun is coming up," she says in a voice that is even higher in pitch than before. He wonders if she is getting younger before his eyes. For a moment, he wonders why she would say something like that; even for this situation, it sounds strange. But as everything begins to disappear around him, he understands.

Lief had been dreaming. He knew that now. And as he opened his eyes, which were still wet with the tears he had shed in his sleep, he realised that it was not Jasmine who had spoken at all, but Anna.

"The sun is coming up," she said again. "Look, see? It is right there!"

Lief looked through the gap in the curtains, and sure enough, the sun was coming up. But only just. It had to be just after dawn, and Lief wondered what had possessed his daughter to wake so early.

"It is very early, Anna," he told her, yawning. "Go back to sleep."

"No, I wake up now," the little girl said, looking at her father as though he had gone mad. Then, her green eyes narrowed in concern.

"Papa, you are sad," Anna informed him. Not for the first time since he had returned, Lief wondered just how much his daughter had grown. Then, without waiting for a response from him, she turned and scurried away to her side of the room.

"I make you better!" She called over her shoulder.

As Lief sat up and looked around for his clothes, he could hear Anna rummaging around in the wooden toy box that had been placed there in the days after she had been born. Though the toys in there had changed as she had grown older, he knew that there would be nothing in there that could make him feel better at this moment. But when Lief saw what Anna was holding out in front of her as she hurried back to him, he could not help but smile. Once again, his daughter had proved him wrong. He was beginning to understand now why Jasmine wanted to protect her from the pain he was causing.

"What have you got there, Anna? He asked her, even though he already knew.

"Gran said this was yours when you was small," she panted as she handed him his old toy kin, Monty. "He make me better when I was sad one time, so now he make you better."

As Lief looked at his daughter, standing there and holding the battered toy out to him, he thought that she looked and sounded as though she had travelled all day on horseback, just to give it to him. And perhaps, in her little mind, the effort it had taken to find Monty had been equal to that. Again, he cursed himself for being so foolish.

"Thank you, Anna," he said softly as he took the toy from her and held it to his chest. He only hoped that it would not bring on a second round of tears.

Meanwhile, at the forge, Jasmine was waking from yet another bad night's sleep. The argument she had been having with herself was still ringing in her head. Half of her wanted never to see Lief again, while the other half wanted to run up to the palace and beg him to return; and what was worse, Jasmine knew in her heart that neither half would win. The former would not win because she and Lief shared a daughter whom they both loved, so communication would need to be established somehow. The latter would not win because Jasmine did not beg for anything. It was true that over the years, many things had changed about her, but that was not one of them.

Jasmine got out of bed, dressed, and went outside to get some air. All of a sudden, she felt stifled by the walls of this small house, which was usually a peaceful place. It was then that she noticed a tall figure walking toward the gates. Had Lief somehow heard her internal argument?

As the figure drew closer, however, Jasmine realised that it was not Lief, but Doom. Absently, she wondered why Doom would be arriving at the forge at such an early hour. Then she remembered that her Father's internal clock was unlike that of most people she knew. He ate when he wanted to, slept when he wanted to (usually for alarmingly short periods), and arrived at her home when he wanted to. When Doom noticed her standing there, he quickened his pace. Despite the fact that Jasmine and her father had a strange relationship, their bond was strong, and Jasmine could not help feeling overwhelmed with gladness that he had chosen to come home today.

"Doom!" She cried, rushing to open the gates for him. "You were not expected so soon! How goes the research?"

"It doesn't," Doom said in his usual clipped tone as he followed her into the house. "I have been in the west, trying to examine the breeding and nesting habits of dragons of the amethyst, and I hoped I might find Lief in Tora. I hoped that he could assist me, since he has such a strong friendship with that dragon. So, I was surprised to find only Ranesh and Barda there talking of trade on the west coast. Ranesh said that Lief had returned to Del, so I thought I should follow his lead since my research is going so badly."

Jasmine was only half listening to what her father was saying. She busied herself in the kitchen heating water to make tea while Doom sat down in front of the living room fire and pulled off his coat.

"Is Lief here?" Doom asked as Jasmine brought him a hot brew.

"No," she answered, hoping he would leave it at that. Unfortunately, her hopes did not come to pass.

"Where is he?" Doom persisted.

"He is at the palace," Jasmine replied, walking back into the kitchen. Doom noticed that she was trying to avoid his questions.

"There is something you are not telling me, Jasmine," her father went on in his usual businesslike tone, following her into the kitchen and seating himself at the table."

There are many things I am not telling you," Jasmine replied.

"I cannot help but notice how quiet this place is," Doom went on, ignoring her. It is almost frightening. Is Anna at the palace also?"

"Yes," she answered. "She has been there for a few days now; Sharn has been caring for her."

Upon hearing this, Doom's head jerked up as he stared at his daughter. Jasmine could only be thankful that this particular piece of information seemed to have rendered her Father speechless, at least until he finished his cup of tea.

"I do not suppose you have something for me to eat?" He asked finally. "I have had a long journey, and it seems we have much to talk about. I am curious as to why Anna and Lief are at the palace at such an early hour. Surely Anna has not taken on royal duties already?"

At this, Jasmine smiled for what felt like the first time in weeks. "No, she has not," she answered. "She is just… Spending time with her father."

"Why can she not spend time with him here?" Doom's tone was incredulous now.

And there it was. The question that Jasmine had been dreading. Why could Doom not have turned up and prattled on endlessly about dragon's eggs?

"Lief does not live here." Jasmine answered her father's question using as few words as possible. But to her surprise, Doom's face held the same closed expression as it always did. It was almost as if he had been expecting this news for some time.

"So, you have become sick of him leaving for weeks at a time and not returning?" Doom asked finally.

Jasmine nodded, not knowing what to say. The thought that Doom might have been expecting this made her feel uncomfortable.

"Well then," he continued mockingly. "Be glad that you did not marry me!"

Jasmine found herself laughing for the second time that morning. It was a strange feeling, but it somehow made her feel better about the situation.

"Believe me, Doom," she said, tears of mirth running down her face. "I am glad of that every day."

"And so am I," Doom said, also laughing. "But I do not understand why Lief does not take the both of you with him when he leaves Del. Surely, it would make running the kingdom less painful for all of you."

"Are you mad?" Jasmine cried. "After all that trouble we've had with Anna's health? She cannot leave Del as she is now; she is still far too small!"

"If I may say so," Doom began. "I do not think Anna's stature has anything to do with when she was born. You are quite small yourself Jasmine, and I think it is time that you and Lief stopped worrying every single time she coughs. Besides, I believe that getting out of the city and into the fresh air might actually be good for her lungs."

"But how can you know that Doom?" Jasmine asked angrily. "Are you a healer?"

"No, I am not," Doom answered patiently. "But the last time I saw Anna, she looked to be the picture of health. I only wish I could say the same for your marriage."

For a long while, both of them just sat there, each of them absorbed in thoughts that they did not wish to share. Finally, Doom got up from the table, and went to retrieve his coat from the living room.

"I am going to the palace," he announced as he passed through the kitchen. "Perhaps you should come with me. By the look of you, you are in no position to be preparing food, and it would be a shame to see this place burn to the ground after so many years."

Although going with Doom to the palace might mean she had to speak to Lief, Jasmine knew that her Father was right. So she followed him out of the house, and into the cool morning.

"One, two, three, Anna caught a flea, put it in the teapot, and made a cup of tea!"

Lief was chanting in a sing-song voice as he tried to comb his daughter's hair. Most days, he was glad that Anna had inherited her mother's mass of long, dark curls, but today was not one of them. Try as he might, he could not remove the tangles, and it seemed that Anna was already losing patience with him. The "have you gone mad?" Look had also returned to her face, so he stopped singing and continued in silence. But after about a minute, Anna's patience had run out completely.

"No!" She shrieked. "I want Mama to do it!"

Lief decided that whatever Jasmine had said to him, he would never be able to understand how a small child's mind worked. One moment, Anna was disobedient because he was not there, and the next, she was disobedient because she wanted her mother.

"Mama is not here," Lief said, feeling his own patience running out. "But she will come soon, I am sure of it."

Lief tried to smile as he said this, but he was sure that even Anna could tell that it was forced. If Lief was being honest with himself, he was not looking forward to his next encounter with his wife. At least, not if it was going to be anything like the last time they had spoken.

"Papa, stop it!" Anna yelled, trying to snatch the comb from her Father's hand. "You hurting me!"

Lief hesitated for a split second, and that was enough. Anna grabbed the comb from him, and ran out of the room, For a moment, Lief sat there, unsure of what to do. But then, the decision was made for him by the sound of his mother's voice.

"Anna!" Lief heard his mother exclaiming. "What is the matter?"

"Papa Hurted me!" Anna cried. Lief got up from where he had been sitting on the floor of his bedchamber, and went out into the hallway where his mother was holding his daughter in her arms, patting her lightly on the back as her tantrum died down.

"I am sure he did not mean it," Sharn soothed, noticing Lief standing in the doorway.

"No, Lief said. "I did not. I am sorry."

Sharn looked her son up and down. From the dark rings under his eyes, to the creases in his usually neatly pressed clothing, she could tell that he was suffering also. For what felt like the millionth time since Lief had returned, Sharn wondered if he had known at all that the family he had only just begun to build was crumbling around him. Deciding that she would speak of it with him later, she examined Anna's tangled hair.

"I think I have found the problem," Sharn told her Granddaughter as she took the comb from her little hand. "You have got honey in your hair. How did that happen?"

"I don' know," Anna answered, still glancing warily at Lief.

"Perhaps we should all go down and get some breakfast," Sharn said. "I think your hair can wait. Do you not agree, Anna?"

Anna nodded vigorously, and allowed Sharn to place her back on her feet. Immediately, she took off running down the hallway, toward the great staircase that led down to the kitchens. Lief turned to his mother.

"She is headed right for the stairs," he said, as if Sharn did not know that already. "Should I not…"

"No," Sharn said sharply, putting a hand on Lief's arm to stop him. "She knows to walk slowly down the stairs; three minor falls have taught her that."

"Three falls?" Lief shouted. "How could you have allowed that!"

Sharn could see the combination of horror and anger on her son's face, and she realised that he was beginning to question her ability to care for her own granddaughter. She decided that now was the time to tell him that if he had been there when Anna had fallen, he would have known that no serious damage had been done. Sharn was also beginning to understand that to Lief, Anna was still the frail infant, over whom he and Jasmine had had to watch so carefully, and it was now up to her to try and convince him that Anna was no longer a baby.

Sharn led Lief by the arm back into his bedchamber, and closed the door. As she turned to face him, she notice that he was shaking. She did not know whether this was because he was angry, or because he was grieving.

"I think you should sit down, Lief," Sharn said softly. Lief did as he was asked, and as he did, Sharn saw that on the bed beside him, was the old toy kin that she had made for him years ago. What was it doing there?

Lief sat there, looking at his knees and saying nothing. Sharn realised that he was waiting for her to say something.

"When Anna fell the first time," Sharn began, knowing that this could be dangerous. "She gave herself a black eye, which every child who passed through the palace that week found most impressive. I tell you, she took great pride in showing off and talking about it."

Sharn paused for a moment, allowing time for her words to sink in. Lief was still looking at his knees.

"The second time," she continued. "She tripped over her dress, and skinned her knee. I took the hem up on the dress, and that was the end of that. The third time, there were no visible injuries, and she only cried for about five minutes afterward. I think she was more frightened by it than anything else."

Finally, Lief looked up, and Sharn saw again how tired he was. She knew only too well that he was not tired because he had just returned from Tora, but because of all that had happened afterward. It saddened her to think that trying to create a stable home for one little girl should come at such a price. Sharn also knew that Lief was not the only one who was suffering here. She thought back to only three days ago, when Jasmine and Anna had come for the full moon meeting, and how Jasmine had looked as though she had never had any rest in her life. Sharn had always thought that Lief and Jasmine fitted so well together, and now that they were apart, they were broken. But even she did not know how to repair the damage that had been done by Lief's absences, without someone being hurt.

"Why does Anna wear leggings now?" Lief asked suddenly, bringing Sharn out of her thoughts.

"Because they are more practical for playing," she answered.

"If it were not for her hair, she would look like a little boy!" Lief commented. "Whose idea was that?"

"It was mine," Sharn said quickly, knowing what her son was thinking. "When Jasmine and Anna came a few days ago for the full moon meeting, Anna was dressed as though she was going to a dance. So I decided to make some new outfits for her that were better suited for playing. In the meantime, she has been wearing clothes passed down from Lindal's boys."

"That was when you wrote to Zeean," Lief broke in. "You wrote to her, but you did not expect me to return once I had heard the news. What would have happened if I had not? Would Jasmine have changed her mind?"

"I do not know, Lief," Sharn said softly. "I do not know."

As it turned out, Lief did not join his mother when she eventually went down to the kitchens for breakfast. He did not feel that he could eat anything, despite not having eaten since the previous night. He also did not think that he could face Jasmine just yet, not after all that he had learned. So he had gone straight to the library, and worked on the accounts for the palace as the day wore on.

It annoyed Lief that he was the one who had to decide how much everyone who worked for the palace was to be paid. Palace workers often payed for any work related expenses out of their own pockets, whatever Lief said to them. This made it all the more difficult for him to calculate their wages, because he then had to subtract the amount they had paid from the palace accounts, and then add it onto the accounts of the worker. Not for the first time, Lief considered hiring an accountant to do the work for him. But then, he supposed that adding another worker would only make things worse. The work was mind-numbingly boring, and eventually, Lief fell asleep.

Lief was woken hours later by a small hand tapping him on the shoulder.

"Anna?" he murmured. "What is it?"

"No," the voice said. "I'm Joseph."

Looking up, Lief realised that it was indeed little Joseph who was standing just behind his chair.

"Anna is gone," the boy was saying. "My Mama told me to get you because she wants you to eat dinner with her and me."

"Dinner?" Lief asked, looking out of the window. With a shock, he realised that he had slept the day through.

"Yes," Joseph answered. "Mama told me you must come right now."

"Why could she not tell me that herself?" Lief asked, annoyed. Joseph shrank back from him, and Lief realised that he must have spoken too sharply. But then, the little boy straightened himself, and when he spoke again, Lief's face fell.

"I work here now," he said, beaming.

Lief looked down at the papers in front of him, too shocked to speak. Another worker was the last thing he needed just now. But then, he realised that this could not be the case. Joseph could not be more than five years old, and there were laws in place to prevent children so young being forced into work. In his exhausted state, he had taken the child too seriously.

"What do you do?" Lief asked, playing along.

"I'm the new 'prentice," Joseph informed him.

"Congratulations, Joseph," Lief said, standing up and shaking Joseph's little hand.

Joseph was still beaming when the two of them reached the kitchens a few minutes later. There he found his mother, Marilen, and to his surprise, Doom.

"I was wondering when I might see you," Doom said as Lief sat down. "I have been wanting to talk with you about my research in the west. I was hoping I might meet you in Tora."

"I came back early," Lief said as a bowl of stew was put in front of him.

"I know," Doom replied. "I met Ranesh and Barda there, and they told me what they knew. Then, when I returned here, I went to look for you at the forge. There I found Jasmine, and she told me the rest."

As he was saying all this, Doom's face kept its usual closed expression, and Lief wondered if he was angry at how Lief had treated his daughter. Lief now realised that if some man treated Anna the way he had treated Jasmine, he would want to kill him.

"I am sorry…" He said awkwardly.

"There is no need to apologise," Doom said gruffly. "I will let you sort it out between yourselves, as I'm sure you are capable of doing. I will say this though. Whatever the solution to all this might be, you'd better find it soon. You both look as though you might drop dead at any moment, and that would certainly be no good for Anna. I myself am going to bed now, and I suggest you do the same, Lief."

Doom got up from his chair, and began to walk out of the room. But when he reached the door, Sharn called out to him.

"Doom, you forgot the wood," she said.

"Lief can take it," Doom said without looking around as he left the room.

"What?" Lief asked.

"Doom was going to take a log of wood to the forge for Jasmine," Marilen told him as she tried to persuade Joseph to finish his meal. "Personally, I do not think you will make it that far. Doom is right, you really do look like you're about to drop dead."

"It is only to the forge," Lief defended himself.

"I would take it myself," Sharn said. "But it is too heavy."

"Where is it?" Lief asked her.

"It is just there," Sharn said, pointing to a place beside the stove. Sure enough, a huge log of wood sat there, propped against the ones that were to be used at the palace. It was larger than all the others, and Lief knew that there would be no way his mother would be able to carry it.

"I will take it," Lief said, getting up. Sharn looked at him, and Lief could see that she had doubts about this idea.

"I do not know, Lief," she said. "I am sure that Jasmine and Anna can wait until morning."

But Lief had already walked to the stove, picked up the heavy log, and flung it over his shoulder.

"With any luck, Anna will be asleep," was all Sharn said as he left the room.

Anna was not asleep when Lief reached the forge about five minutes later. As he placed the log down in the kitchen, he could hear her shouting from somewhere deep within the house.

"I want to wear this!" She was wailing.

"No," came Jasmine's voice. "That is not something you wear to bed, Anna."

"But I not going to bed," came Anna's voice again. By the sound of it, this argument had been going on for quite some time now.

Lief heard a small noise from within the kitchen, and when he looked around, he saw that it was Kree on the window sill, with his head under one wing. It looked as though he had been woken up by Anna's shouting, and was not happy about it.

"What do you want me to do?" Lief asked the bird, knowing that he would not get an answer. He was surprised then, when Kree looked right at him, gave a series of squawks, and then looked toward the door to the living room.

"You want me to go in there," Lief said, astonished.

Kree clucked harshly, louder this time, then put his head back under his wing and closed his eyes.

"Alright then," Lief said. "I will go in there, but only for your sake."

Kree gave no reply. It seemed that all he wanted was for the noise to stop, so he could sleep in peace.

Finding nothing in the living room, Lief continued on to the hallway. It was there that he was hit in the stomach by something wet. Whatever it was, it had knocked the wind out of him, and Lief took a moment to catch his breath before looking down to see what had hit him. When he did look down, he saw that Anna had run right into him, no doubt in an attempt to run away from Jasmine, and it had been her damp head that had hit his stomach. When he looked at Anna properly, he saw that she was completely naked, and that water was dripping from her hair onto the floor. Plainly, she had just come out of the bath, and the look of surprise on her face told him that she had not expected him to be there.

"Where are you going, Anna?" Lief asked. From where he stood, he could see that Jasmine also looked surprised to see him there, but rather than looking at him, she was busying herself with rearranging the clothing that Anna had apparently thrown around, and finding her a nightdress.

"Mama said I have to go to bed," Anna reported. "But I don't want to."

"That is fair enough," Lief agreed, ignoring the filthy look Jasmine gave him. "But where are your clothes? It is no good to run about with no clothes on. You'll get cold!"

"They in there," Anna said, pointing toward her bedroom. "But I not wearing that."

It seemed that Jasmine had found Anna a nightdress, and was holding it out to her. Taking a chance, Lief stepped forward and took it instead. Now, Jasmine looked puzzled, but she remained silent.

Lief moved back toward Anna, and with one quick movement, pulled the nightdress over her head from behind. It took him a little longer to get her arms through the sleeves, but after only a few seconds, Anna seemed to realise that it was useless to put up a fight, and let him do it. All three of them stood there for about a minute, all of them surprised by what Lief had just done. It was Jasmine who spoke first.

"Her hair is wet," she told Lief. "Doom was supposed to bring some wood for the fire, but…"

"It is alright," Lief interrupted. "I brought it. That is why I am here."

"Oh," said Jasmine, apparently surprised. "I thought you had come because you…" She stopped there.

"What?" Lief asked her.

"Nothing," she said. "It is nothing. You can sit with her until her hair dries enough for her to sleep without getting cold."

Lief took that as his cue to go and get the log from the kitchen. When he entered the living room again and placed it on the dying embers in the hearth, he found Jasmine and Anna waiting for him. For a moment, he forgot that he no longer lived there. It felt as though he had never left for Dread Mountain, and nothing had changed between Jasmine and himself. And as he sat down in one of the armchairs by the fire, and Anna climbed into his lap, he supposed that under any other circumstances, they would be a normal family.

"I want a story," Anna demanded.

"No," Jasmine said quickly. "Papa will sit with you until all the sand is in the bottom."

Following his daughter's eyes, Lief saw that Jasmine had taken the glass egg timer from the kitchen and placed it on the mantelpiece. He was quite sure that he could tell a story that would take less than three minutes, but he decided not to argue.

"We could sing a song," Lief suggested. "Perhaps you could teach me that one about the wagon? I don't believe I know that one."

Lief knew better than anyone that he was a hopeless singer, but he had learned after Anna had been born that children did not care. He only hoped that this was still the case. If it was not, he could be in trouble.

"No," Anna said, shaking her head. "Not the wagon, I want five little ducks."

Lief sighed with relief, he knew that one, and it seemed that Anna still did not care whether or not he could carry a tune. As he started the song, he wondered when that would change. Everything else about her seemed to change so quickly, and he now realised that he had missed so much of it because he had not been there. Jasmine's reasons for wanting him to live in the palace, (instead of at the forge) were beginning to make sense to him, because he almost felt as if he did not know the little girl in his lap.

"…Father Duck said, "Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!" But only four little ducks came back."

"No," Anna interrupted. "It's Mother Duck, not Father Duck." She said this as though he was stupid, and Lief wondered when and where she had learned to use that particular tone.

"I'm not a Mother," he said. "So I cannot sing it like that." Then without waiting for a response, he continued.

"Four little ducks went out one day, over the hills and far away. Father Duck said, "Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!" But only three little ducks came back."

Lief noticed that Anna was joining in now, as he hoped she might, and that Jasmine had left the room. As he counted backwards from three, then to two, then to one, letting the words of the song guide him, he could hear her bustling around in the kitchen. Perhaps she was washing the dishes. He told himself that when he had finished the song, he would go and help her. He had to pass through the kitchen to leave the house in any case, so why not?

"…Father Duck said, "Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!" But no little duck came back, came back."

Lief stopped there. He knew that there was one more verse after that, but for the life of him, he could not think how it went. Anna was looking at him expectantly, and he hoped that she would not talk down to him again. But then, Jasmine's voice came from the kitchen.

"Old Father Duck went out one day, over the hills and far away. Father Duck said, "Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!" And all those five little ducks came back."

Lief and Anna had joined in after the first two lines, and so all three of them had finished the song together. Once again, it felt as though nothing had changed, and Lief wondered if Jasmine and Anna felt it also. They must have, for both of them were smiling as Lief led Anna to her room and tucked her into bed.

Jasmine could see that Lief did not want to leave them. The way he lingered in Anna's doorway and stared almost longingly at her sleeping face told her everything that words could not. The strange thing was, Jasmine did not want Lief to leave either. But she knew in her heart that he must, unless she wanted things to go back to the way they were.

"Thank you for helping me get Anna to sleep," Jasmine said after a long silence. "I think this is the first time in days that she has fallen asleep before midnight."

Jasmine saw Lief's eyes reluctantly leave Anna's face, and move to hers. The look of longing had not left them, and Jasmine wondered if he was still thinking of Anna. But when he reached out his hand to her and then dropped it again, she realised that he was not. The thought that Lief might be longing for her, just as he longed for their daughter made Jasmine's knees almost buckle beneath her, and she reached out to the wall beside her in order to remain standing upright.

"Are you alright?" Lief asked.

"Yes," Jasmine answered him, looking away. "I am just tired, that is all."

"I do not know how Anna can stay awake until midnight, and then have so much energy the next day," Lief said.

It became clear to Jasmine that Lief was trying to delay the moment when he would have to leave them and return to the palace. Now, she regretted that she had told him to leave the previous night. Lief was here now, and he was helping her. So why could she not just be happy with that?

"You can stay here a little longer if you like," Jasmine said after another long silence. "I am very glad you came tonight, and not just because of the wood."

But Lief found that he could not form a response, for the next moment, Jasmine had stepped forward and embraced him.

Jasmine and Anna were both beautiful, and they were both here. And now, Lief knew why this was so important.

(A/N.) If anyone knows who wrote the two nursery rhymes mentioned here, please feel free to let me know so I can put in the correct disclaimer.


	6. Bigger Things

(A/N.) So here it is. The final chapter before the epilogue. I'll try not to take as long with that. I'm not entirely happy with this one, but I'll let you be the judge. Also, thanks to all the readers who have helped me during the writing of this chapter, you know who you are.

Chapter Six:

Bigger Things

Sharn was panicking. It was just after dawn, and Lief still had not returned from the forge. For the millionth time, she berated herself for allowing him to go in the first place. Sharn was not worried that her son would get into another argument with his wife; their daughter being in the home would take care of that. But she was worried about Lief being alone on the streets at night, with no guards to protect him. While it was true that Lief was a perfectly capable fighter, he was tired and distracted by what was happening in his personal life. This would give his enemies an unfair advantage.

As she passed his bedchamber on the way to the kitchens, Sharn knocked frantically (as she had done many times the previous night) and called her son's name. But as she had both feared and expected, there was no answer. Before she had even realised what she was doing, Sharn had run back to her own bedchamber and found the spare key she kept for Lief's room. Although it seemed wrong for her to invade her son's privacy, Sharn decided that it was worth it. It would be just like Lief to have crept into the palace through one of the secret entrances last night, and be sleeping safely in his bed. But when she returned to Lief's chamber and unlocked the door, she found that this was not the case.

The room looked just as it had when Lief had left it yesterday. This told Sharn that he had not been there at all since then. It took all the self-control that she possessed to keep from crying out. This was just what she had feared.

Once again, Lief awoke with tears in his eyes. He lay completely still, listening to the birds outside calling to their mates as they always did at this time of the morning. He also became aware that it must have rained during the night, and he could hear the steady "drip, drip, drip" of what was left of it falling off the roof.

Lief knew that he must have been dreaming again, for there was no other explanation for what had taken place the previous night.

Very slowly, Lief opened his eyes, taking in the room around him. The sight of Jasmine's long, ebony curls spreading over the pillow right beside his face was nearly enough to bring on a fresh wave of tears. It was then, that Lief realised that he was not at the palace, but at the forge. He was home. Lief decided that if this was a dream, he did not want to be woken any time soon.

This was everything he had ever wanted; everything that he had come so close to losing. Lief knew now that he had taken it all for granted, and he made a silent vow to himself that if this turned out to be no dream, and he truly did have his family back, that he would not repeat his mistakes. By all accounts, Adin had not been as foolish as Lief had been, and he had had five children, not just one, and had still somehow managed to not only run the kingdom, but build it. Lief mused that if he ever got the chance, he might use the Topaz to contact Adin and ask him how he had done it.

But for now, he lay still, reflecting on the previous night. After he had put Anna to bed, Lief had stood with Jasmine in the hallway, watching their daughter sleep. He remembered how awkward it had felt, just standing there, with some sort of invisible barrier between them that seemed impossible to break. Only once before had that happened, and that was because Lief had been keeping secrets, and Jasmine had falsely believed that he had gone to Tora to find a bride. A picture of Jasmine's face when she had first met Marilen flashed into Lief's mind. She had smiled so bravely at him as Marilen came down the palace steps, determined that Marilen's entrance into their lives would not affect their friendship in any way.

"Jasmine loved you even then, you fool," Lief raged silently to himself. "Even when she thought you were going to marry someone else. She was willing to put that aside out of loyalty to you. And now, that she has done what you wanted and married you, you have failed her. Her and Anna both."

As Lief lay there, still furious with himself, Anna was outside, playing in the garden. She knew that she should not have gone out without waking her mother first, but when she had looked out her window and seen the puddles, her desire to jump in them had seen to any worries she might have had about getting into trouble. Getting out of the house was surprisingly easy; all she had had to do was pull at her bedroom door, then at the one at the front. Neither of them had been shut properly, so Anna decided that her mother must have left them like that on purpose, so that she could go and jump in the puddles when the morning came. She knew that her mother knew that she was not yet tall enough to reach the knobs, and as she continued with her puddle-jumping, Anna thought that it was very nice of her mother to open the doors a little so she could get out. She would have to thank her when she came back into the house. Berry, Brid, and even Joseph (with his leg that always seemed to be bent at the knee) were tall enough to open doors, and as she continued with her play, Anna wondered if the three boys would believe her if she told them that she had been able to get out the front door by herself. She doubted very much that their mothers would have let them play in the puddles.

And that was how Doom found his granddaughter when he passed through the forge gates about five minutes later. He had run to the forge immediately upon hearing the news from Sharn that Lief had not returned to the palace the previous night, searching the streets along the way for any sign that Lief had gotten into trouble. There was no indication that there had been a struggle or fight, so Doom had gone straight to the forge, hoping that Jasmine might have the answers they all needed.

Doom stopped short just inside the gates, at the sight of Anna jumping in the puddles that had been left by the recent rain. He had not been worried before, but now, he was. There was no way that Jasmine, (or Lief for that matter) would allow the little girl to be playing in the mud at this hour of the morning, wearing only what appeared to be her nightdress. He approached cautiously, not wanting to startle the child.

"Anna," he called. "What are you doing?"

Anna looked up at him, her face the picture of delight. "I'm jumping in the puddles," she told him, as though this was not already plain to see. "Mama opened the doors so I could get out, b'cause she knows I can't open them by myself yet. But I'm going to tell Berry and Brid and Joseph that I did do it by myself!"

Upon hearing this, Doom ran toward her, scooping her up into his arms. If both the front door and the door to Anna's bedroom had been left open, then this was not good news. Despite all that he had seen, Doom now dreaded what he might find when he entered the cottage where his only daughter lived. Perhaps an enemy had turned up during the night, and Lief had stayed to defend Jasmine and Anna. If that was the case, Doom could only hope that Lief and Jasmine were both alive.

"…I think Mama let me out b'cause I was good last night," Anna was chattering as Doom tightened his grip on her.

"Did she say that you could go and play outside?" Doom asked, finding Anna to be a surprisingly useful source of information.

"No," the child said, her face drooping slightly. "But I was good last night, I went to sleep, just like Mama and Papa said for me to. So they open the doors for me so I can come out here."

As Anna was saying all this, Doom checked her for injuries. She was quite unscathed, apart from the fact that she was covered in mud from head to foot.

"What did they say to you before you went to sleep?" Doom asked, feeling hope rising within him.

"Uh… Good night?" Anna answered him after a short while. "I can't really 'member, we was singing five little ducks, and then Papa forgot the last bit, and then Mama helped him finish it, and then Papa took me to my room and put me in my bed. I don't know what happened then, like I tol' you, I went to sleep."

Then, after another short pause, she asked, "Am I getting in trouble?"

"No," Doom answered. He realised that the child had misunderstood the expression on his face, so he set her back on her feet, and crouched down to be at eye level with her.

"You are not going to get into any trouble, Anna," he said as gently as he could. "But it is very important that you tell me as much as you can remember."

"Why?" The little girl asked. Doom decided that it would be unwise to tell her that her father might be missing. He knew only too well that upsetting Anna would not help him. So instead, he changed the subject.

"Do you think your Mama would mind if you come with me to the palace?"

As the little girl shook her head, Doom pulled a pencil and paper from his pocket, and wrote a note to Jasmine.

"Wait here for me," he instructed her. "I will just take this note inside for Mama so she knows where you are."

"Oh!" Anna exclaimed suddenly. "I think Papa is in there, not at the palace. Did you make a note for him too?"

Doom was usually very good at hiding his emotions, but even he could not completely contain his shock at this news. He moved quickly through the front door, which was still ajar, so that the child would not see how much she had surprised him. It certainly would not do for her to be asking questions now.

As he entered the kitchen, he noticed that nothing seemed out of place. Last night's dishes were drying on the rack by the sink, and Kree was sitting on the window sill, regarding him curiously.

"Do you know where Lief is?" Doom whispered to the bird. He knew that despite Kree's intelligence, even he might not have an answer. Even so, it was worth a try. Kree clucked once, and looked at the door that lead into the living room.

Peering inside, Doom received another great shock. Lief's cloak, sword and boots were all there. It looked as though he had taken them off, thrown them, and left them where they had landed. It seemed that Anna had been right, but what was he doing there? And why would he leave his things in such a state? Doom knew that Lief was not the tidiest of people, but even so. It came to him that there could be only one other reason why Lief's possessions had been left that way besides an enemy attack.

"No," Doom said incredulously to Kree. "Surely not." Again, Kree clucked once, as if confirming what Doom was thinking. By the look of the bird, there had been no enemy in the cottage the previous night. If there had been, Kree would certainly not be looking as though he had just woken from a good-night's sleep. Doom had no idea what he would tell Sharn, he was not even sure that he knew himself what was going on.

Doom left the note beside the newly dried dishes and walked quickly out of the house, making sure he closed the front door properly. Outside, he placed his giggling granddaughter onto his shoulders and carried her up to the palace. As he went, Doom decided that he would never understand the relationship between his daughter and her husband.

When Doom reached the palace, he went straight to the bird room, hoping to find Ebony there. He knew that as the most trusted of all the messenger birds, she would be able to find Lief, wherever he was. Despite finding Lief's possessions at the forge, Doom could not be entirely sure that he was there. As he had expected, he found Harlan the bird keeper, changing the straw that covered the floor as he usually did at this time of the day.

"Is Ebony here?" Doom asked sharply, wasting no time with a greeting.

Harlan looked up from the floor, and dropped the broom he was holding. Doom did not miss the brief look of fear that crossed the young man's face before his eyes fell on Anna, who was still perched on his shoulders.

"Is Ebony here?" Anna echoed, in a perfect imitation of her grandfather. Doom smiled as he placed her on the floor in front of him.

"I-I think so," Harlan said a little nervously. "Do you need her right now?"

"Yes," Doom Answered. "I need to send an urgent message to Lief."

"Lief?" Harlan exclaimed in surprise. "But I thought…"

"I need to send an urgent message to Lief," Doom repeated, glancing pointedly at Anna. He still did not wish to discuss her missing father while she was in the room.

"There!" Anna shrieked suddenly, pointing to one of the perches. "That is Ebony!"

As if hearing her name and sensing that she was needed, Ebony flew down from her perch and landed on Harlan's shoulder. Seeing that she was indeed at the palace, Doom Pulled another paper from his pocket and quickly wrote a note to Lief, telling him that Anna was at the palace and asking him to join her there as soon as possible.

"Doom forgot to write a note for my Papa," Anna told Harlan as Ebony plucked the note from Dooms hand and flew out of the room.

"It seems I did," Doom said, glancing pointedly at the young man. "I've been rather silly, don't you think?"

Harlan remained silent as Anna nodded vigorously. Doom noticed that the keeper of the birds was staring at Anna's mud-covered nightdress.

"You're very dirty, Princess," Harlan said with a smile. "What have you been doing?"

"I been jumping in the puddles," Anna said proudly. "But you are dirty too, how did you get like that?"

Doom noticed Harlan looking down at his trousers, which were covered with straw and what appeared to be bird droppings.

"It's part of my job," he said after a moment. "The floor in here gets clean, but I get dirty."

Doom realised once again that Harlan was very good with children. He had noticed it before, but now his ability to engage with Anna seemed more pronounced. He wished he had taken more time to learn Harlan's story. Lief and Jasmine had told him what they called "the short version", but he had since forgotten. All Doom knew, was that Harlan had many younger siblings, one of whom had gone missing not too long before Harlan had come to work at the palace. As far as Doom knew, Harlan's sister had never been found.

"You'll need a bath now," Harlan was saying as Doom reflected. "You cannot go around all day covered in mud now, can you?"

Anna's face had donned a look of horror at the thought of Lindal or Sharn scrubbing her clean, so Doom took the opportunity to remove her from the situation.

"We will come and see Harlan again when you are clean," Doom said to Anna as he lead her by the hand out of the room.

At the forge, Jasmine awoke with the feeling that something was wrong. Her sharp senses were unusually heightened, and she was aware of every sound within her small room. She could hear Lief snoring softly beside her, along with the sound of a bird outside. A look out the window told Jasmine that a messenger bird was fluttering on the window sill, unable to get in. Upon closer inspection, she realised that the bird was Ebony. Jasmine quickly got out of bed and went to let her in. As soon as Ebony came into the room, she hovered above Lief and dropped a note onto his chest before going to join Kree in the kitchen.

The feeling that something was wrong returned to Jasmine with full force. There could be no other reason why a messenger bird would be arriving at the forge at such an early hour, but she had no idea what the problem could be. Deciding that there was no point in prolonging her feelings of unease any longer, Jasmine woke Lief and made him aware of the note that Ebony had dropped on him.

"Who would be writing to me?" Lief yawned.

"I do not know," Jasmine replied, her anxiety increasing. "But you had better open it, whoever it is obviously could not wait until a more reasonable hour to send the message, so they must have something important to tell you."

"I cannot think what could be so important that they should wake me at dawn," Lief snapped as he opened the note.

Jasmine saw his eyes widen in shock as he read the note, and she could not take it any longer. As soon as Lief had finished reading, she snatched the paper out of his hand and began reading it herself.

"Lief,

Wherever you are, you need to let Sharn and I know that you are safe. We are very worried about you. I have taken Anna to the palace, I found her playing in the mud in the front yard at the forge, and she informed me that Jasmine had not closed the front door properly. I also found your possessions in the living room there.

Please reply as soon as you can,

Doom."

The fact that Doom had not written the note in code told Jasmine that his worry for Lief's safety was very real. It also occurred to her that Doom had visited the forge, perhaps not too long ago, and taken Anna when he had returned to the palace. Now, Jasmine knew what was wrong. Anna was not in the house. Jasmine was glad that she had read the note before she had gone to Anna's room and found her bed empty.

"I think it was me who did not close the door," Lief said. "I know that it was closed when I arrived here, I had to use my key to unlock it."

Jasmine noticed that he looked guilty as he said this, and she dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"We must go to the palace," she said quickly. "We need to make sure Anna is alright."

"Of course she is alright," Lief retorted. "Why would she not be?"

Jasmine found that she could not answer him, so instead she retrieved her dagger and shoes, and made for the front door. She was relieved when a few moments later, she heard Lief following her. She did not know how she would explain her feelings about Anna to him. If Jasmine was honest with herself, her feelings frightened her. Not having Anna close by made her worry that something might happen to her daughter or worse, herself. Jasmine could not imagine Anna being orphaned at such an early age as she had been. The very thought of it made her sick to her stomach.

As Lief and Jasmine entered the palace through the kitchen door, they found Anna sitting with Sharn at the table, dressed in clothes that were suitable for playing in. Her wet hair told them that she had just come out of a bath.

"Hello!" Anna called to her parents as she saw them. "Gran put too many bubbles in!"

"Are you alright?" Jasmine asked, running over and scooping Anna into her arms.

"Yes," Anna answered obediently. "But didn't you hear me? Gran put too many bubbles in my bath!"

"Yes, I heard you," Jasmine said softly. She looked from Anna's face to Lief's, and noticed that the smiles on their faces were almost identical.

Jasmine thought of her earlier fears for Anna's safety, and how stupid they now seemed. Then she thought of her problems with Lief, which seemed small and insignificant in comparison.

Jasmine decided then and there that Lief could come home, and that they could sort out any problems they might have. After all, there were bigger things for them both to worry about, and Anna was one of them.


End file.
